Together We Can Defeat Our Demons
by richbecky213
Summary: Tony would rather die than see Steve killed, but when that happens at the hands of some old enemies who were believed to be dead and Steve does something unbelievable to bring Tony back, how will the team deal with them and the secretary of state,Thaddeus Ross, who is still after half the team, all while seeing Tony's mind and emotions screwed with by the what seems to be the team.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello everyone. This is my first time writing a story for this site. i'm not sure how to add notes to my stories and add/edit chapters. due to that this will probably be a long page. also my computer broke a couple weeks ago so i will be updating this when i have access to a computer. also i already know there are **A LOT** of mistakes in this. I'll go back an fix them when i get a chance.

 **SUMMARY:** Tony would rather die than see Steve killed, but when that happens at the hands of some old enemies who were believed to be dead and Steve does something unbelievable to bring Tony back, how will the team deal with them and the secretary of state,Thaddeus Ross, who is still after half the team, all while seeing Tony's mind and emotions screwed with by the what seems to be the team.

 **WARNING: THERE WILL BE SMUT MAN ON MAN. CIVIL WAR SPOILERS!**

 **Disclaimer: i own nothing.**

Five months earlier

Dear Tony,

I know I hurt you Tony. I guess I thought – by not telling you about your parents I was sparing you, but… I can see now I was really sparing myself. I'm sorry. Hopefully one day you can understand. No matter what, I promise you. If you need us. If you need me, I'll be there. There's a cell phone that goes along with this letter. Call me if you need me.

Steve

...

Tony's kept that cell phone in his pocket since he got it in the mail. He wonders when he will need to use it and why. He thought about it more than any normal person would. Would they be under attack and need his help? Would something happen to cause him to break and need a friend? Or was it going to be because deep down he really missed the guy and wanted to see him again?

Just asking that last question in his head makes him want to pull the phone out and call. Tony slips his hand in his pocket and as he pulls it out the memory of the last time the saw each other crawls back in his mind.

The video of his parents murder. The fight with Bucky and cap taking Bucky's side when he was the one who killed his parents. The last thing he wanted was to see Steve. To wrap his arms around Steve. To hold Steve as tight as he can and kiss him… "Where did that come from?" Tony didn't realize he asked that out loud.

"Tony a little help here!" breathed Rhodey as he was being choked by this week's goons.

As Tony runs to help Rhodey he is hit over the back of the head and is unconscious. As he's dragged to a nearby car Rhodey struggles to get free to help his friend but the quick movements use the last of his breath and he's out.

When Rhodey finally comes to he's back at the compound a little confused how he got back and why he was in a recovery room. Sitting at the side of his bed was Natasha.

"Nat? I thought you were on the run." said Rhodey in a low strained voice.

"Well I was until no one could find you or Tony and I got called in. Off the books? Only problem is we found you lying on a lifeboat off the coast of long island, but tony can't be found his track is saying he's in his room but that can't be."

"How long have I been out?"

"Three days" Natasha said.

"Tony's been missing three days?"

"Longer than that. It took us a while to find you and we don't know when we was taken." Nat said.

"How long?"

"Maybe a week."

"And how do you know tony was kidnapped?"

"You were talking in your sleep saying to bring him back don't hurt him."

Rhodey laid in his bed looking up at the ceiling.

"What happened, Rhodes?" Nat asked.

"We got called to 'investigate' Justin Hammer and a suspicious looking group but when we got there we were ambushed. We didn't stand a chance."

"Wasn't Hammer the guy who kidnapped that Vanko guy from prison to make suits like Tony's that got arrested? Didn't none of his inventions work?" Nat asked.

"Yes and yes. But this time was different tony didn't seem very focused and they had weapons that clearly Hammer had nothing to do with. If and how he got out of jail I don't know but he wasn't there and now Tony's missing. If it was Hammer he probably took him to get his suits." Rhodey claimed. "We need to call in backup."

...

"W-where am I?" Tony whispered as he tried to focus his eye on the dark room. Out of the corner of his eye he can see movement and he can hear hushed voices.

"H-hello? Hello? Son of a- answer me damn it." Tony yelled. All of a sudden he's being lifted by his hair and is being dragged toward a man that seem very familiar but with the state his head is in Tony can't focus in on his face. It's not until the man speaks does Tony know who it is.

"Aw, Mr. Stark, or should I call you Tony, or Iron Man is it?"

Tony gazed up toward the voice but he had to blink fast because it seemed he was hallucinating. The man speaking had a skull shaped face. 'Well yeah, everyone has a skull shaped face' he thought to himself but this was different. This man looked like he had no meat or anything on his skull. Just a skull. A red skull at that.

"Who are you? WHAT are you?" Tony asked

"My name is Johann Schmidt. For what I am, I am the Red Skull."

Tony just stared.

"Punch him." Schmidt ordered to one of the men to his side. A man in a black jumpsuit stepped forward and punched Tony straight in the stomach. As Tony caught his breath and began to straighten up the man punched him again, and again, and again. Once he was coughing so much blood came up Schmidt held his hand up to signal the man to stop and crouched down to face Tony. "Hasn't your mother ever told you it's rude to stare?" Schmidt laughed.

Tony just realized when he went to choke Schmidt that his hands were bound and his suit was laying on a nearby table being disassembled. "What do you want asshole? If your after the suit you can't have it and you won't be able to figure out how to build one by ripping it apart."

"Oh right to the point. I like that. No Tony I'm not after the suit I'm after the one man who has ever had a chance against me." Schmidt said with a wicked smile on his face.

"What man and how does it involve me?" Tony asked.

"Well the way I hear it he's your friend. Well not anymore after finding out he was hiding something big from you for a long time." Schmidt's wicked smile grow when he saw the heavy breathing Tony was doing. "Oh yes you see I have people and people know things. Just like I know your ex-friend Steve Rogers, Captain America, hid the fact that he know who killed you poor mother and father, well not just know who did it he's best friends with him. You see Tony, I also know Bucky Barnes, as you know him, is the Winter Soldier and is technically also a super soldier just 'for the wrong team' as you would say except now he's on your team but sadly he froze himself in a deep sleep so we can't use him but Captain America will do just as well. You will tell us where to find him or we'll make you tell us."

"No." Tony said through gritting teeth.

"That's a shame. After what he did to you, hid from you, you're still willing to die for him? How sweet. Too bad we will find a way to break you."

With those last words tony is dragged to a sink and dunked. The sink was full of motor oil and began to burn Tony's eyes worse than any pain he had endured before. After awhile of this with no answers they give him a break. They bring him to his feet and swung a bat into his calf with a loud crack.

Tony crashed to the ground but was shortly raised to his feet again and hit in the same calf again and again.

"Will you talk now?"

Tony shock his head unable to speak and dropped head.

"Well we've been at this for a good 8 hours you're probably hungry. You can eat once you talk."

Tony grumbled and shook his head.

"Fine don't eat we'll pick this up again tomorrow. Get some rest Tony we have a busy day ahead of us and trust me you will be talking with in an hour." With that, Schmidt waved his hands for the men holding him to drop him and they left the room. Tony laid on the ground not moving until he heard the footsteps vanish and he struggled against the rope holding his hands. After 10 minutes he gets them loose enough to slip off and army crawls his way to his suit. As he reaches up to pull himself up he hears Jarvis's static voice.

"S-s-sir ar-are you al-all right?"

"Jarvis buddy, can you get a location on Steve?"

"Yes-s-s sir-r but y-you sh-should know..." Tony smacks the suit and messed with some wires to help Jarvis talk "Thank you sir that was getting tiring. But you should know that they are monitoring you along with my systems."

Tony grunts and crawls over to a chair on it's side and with great difficulty rights it. Once he pulls himself in to it he sinks down and tries to ignore the pain shooting through him. He lays his head back and falls to sleep.

Tony dreams he's at home in his mansion just waking from one of the best night sleeps he's gotten in a long time. He rolls over to find he's not alone in the bed. Assuming its some random girl he's just met the night before he pulls the covers back just slightly just to see what she looked like. But when he pulled them back he discovered that she wasn't a she and that he was laying next to the big guy himself, Captain America. He begins to panic not because he thinks he slept with his fellow Avenger but that he can't remember anything about the night before. In his panic he accidentally wakes Steve. Well that is if he was really sleeping. Steve grabbed Tony's hand and eased he back on the bed.

"Tony calm down. You're fine we didn't do anything. You called me last night drunk and said you needed my help to forget a few things. So I came like I promised and while you drank I made sure you were okay and when you blacked out I brought to your bed." Steve explained.

"Then why are you in it with me?" Tony asked.

"When I turned to leave you grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the bed and cuddled up to my side and when I went to move you looked at me with sad eyes and told me not to leave you alone with the nightmares. I would have left but you looked on the verge of tears and I just couldn't let you cry." Steve said.

"I don't cry."

"Well you looked like you could last night."

Tony started getting angry. He wanted to yell at Steve to get out and tell no one of this. He wanted to yell and scream that he shouldn't have stayed that he shouldn't have come and that Tony didn't want to see him again. But as he lays there looking at the beauty of Steve's bedhead and dry drool at the corner of his mouth, Tony can't get a single one of those thoughts to form into words. Instead he whispers "thank you" and before he realizes what he's doing he leans in and puts a soft kiss on his captains mouth. Steve is in shock and just stares as Tony pulls back to see what he's done. "God. I'm sorry Cap I don't know what came over..."

Before he could finish his sentence Cap comes at him. Tony is expecting pain when they make contact but what he wasn't expecting was to feel soft kind lips pushing against his own.

When Steve finally realizes what happened his stomach swims with butterflies at the fact he's doing something he wouldn't normally do. As he kissed tony his insides melted and the guilt and nightmares from his past seem to cease to exist.

Tony hesitates for a moment before kissing back.

As they start pulling at each other's shirts the dream changes and Tony was horrified.

When he no longer feels the man next to him he opens his eye to find he's back in the dungeon he's being kept in but this time he's not alone. He sees a man on the floor and when he realizes who he is he wants to scream. At first he didn't realize who this man is. This man looked maybe 96 and was very, very skinny. Tony saw the wounds from what looked like knife cuts and needle marks. When Tony lifted the bag off his head is when he recognized the face of Steve Rogers but not. Tony thought to himself that must be what he would look like without the serum and that's when it hit him. Schmidt stole the serum from inside Steve. Tony felt for a pulse but couldn't find one. Tony grabs Steve's head and turns it so he could see his face clearer.

Steve has a split lip a black swollen eye and a crack on the side of his head. At this is when Tony begins to cry. Holding his captain in his arms rocking back an forth crying and screaming at the world for stealing his love from him before he knew the truth.

A door behind Tony slide open and Schmidt came walking in.

"Oh good you found him. I was hoping to see tears and there they are." Schmidt grinned with every word.

"I'll kill you!" Tony yelled but didn't move from his spot on the floor, refusing to let go of Steve.

"How will you do that when you're asleep, Stark? Wake up. Let's have some fun before you die." Schmidt laughed.

Tony shot his eyes open and saw Schmidt standing in front of him holding what seemed like more rope but it was really a long bullwhip. Tony stared at it. Unsure what he was feeling.

"You like it? It was a gift. I won't saw from who but you do know her you just probably don't remember her. Well when I told her we had you here she sent me this and said to tell you now you'll know what she felt." Schmidt said as he whipped tony on his back, his legs and his stomach.

After twenty minutes Schmidt stopped and pulled something out of his pocket.

The phone Steve sent to Tony. Tony began to feel his pockets and stopped to stare when he realized what they wanted him to do.

"Why don't you just call if you have it. Why do you still need me?" Tony asked.

"Well you see Tony, Captain Rogers won't come unless you're the one asking plus there's a password that apparently is something only you would know but don't get me wrong we did try but it has to be something you never told anyone but Captain Rogers and for some reason we can't hack it." Schmidt growled with a evil glare at a men standing behind him. "So are you ready to give in and 'call for help.'"

Tony stared at Schmidt then the whip and finally at the phone. He began thinking of a way to get help but not get Steve killed. Thinking of all the things he wanted to say to Steve and all the things he had already said that he shouldn't have. Schmidt starts getting inpatient and swings the whip next to Tony as a warning to hurry up and decide. Tony looks at Schmidt and takes the phone. He flips it open to see a picture of him and Steve training and thinks what the password could be. The longer he looks at the picture the more he feels alone and the more he thinks of Cap. If Cap only knew his feelings, and if he did would he feel the same could they have a future? And he notices letters hidden in the picture that make a question. 'you love me?' and when he realizes the question he knows the password. Well password isn't the right word it's more of a response but Cap knew the answer. Tony's fingers move slowly to the number pad and hits 937. Yes.

The phone begins to ring and Tony is hating himself through every moment. Asking himself am I leading him in to a trap.

"Tony?" Steve's voice came through the speaker full of concern and worry.

"Tony where are you? Tony speak?"

Tony had to swallowed the lump that formed in the throat. "I got your message." Tony said as Schmidt made a confused face. "How long had you known?"

"A while. Tony I need you to listen very closely. Okay? We're tracking you location with the phone it might take a few minutes but we'll find you and I swear I will come and get you." Steve sounded so determined but Tony couldn't stop himself.

"Steve you can't. I... I love you but don't come you'll die and I can't let that happen. No don't come. AAAAHHHHHHHH!" Tony screamed and the whip cut through his chest. arc reactor the only thing undamaged so far. "AAAAHHHHHHHH! Steve just forget me don't come. I called to tell you I love you but that I'd rather die than see you get hurt this bad. I'm sorry." Tony could feel the heat from his tears run down his face.

"Tony just hang on we almost got you location. We will come for you." Cap said trying to sound calm but failing miserably as Tony can hear him crying can almost see the tears running down his cheeks, along his jaw and to the floor.

"Goodbye Steve."

"TONY WAIT!"

*beep*

When Tony hung up the phone he could see the shock and the anger in Schmidt's eyes.

"I did not see that coming! You and Captain America? Wow okay new plan. We don't kill you right now. We let him come because I know he was tracking you and if you're alive he'll be easier to get." Schmidt said.

Tony hated himself because even though he hung the phone up before they pinpointed his location he had an idea of how long he would have until they find him... and Steve dies. At most 2 hours maybe depending on where he is. From the ring on his phone he could tell it was making a long distance call. It would ring different if he was in the same country. So before Schmidt could take the phone back he looked at the GPS and was shocked at where it was telling him he was. Then it clicked.

The Red skull, "The only man who stood a chance", Steve, Germany.

"Nooooooo! No! No! But Steve told me about you. You died. You were ripped apart sent in to another dimension by the Tesseract! How are you alive?" Tony yells.

"Correction yes I was ripped apart and sent to another dimension but i did not die it teleported me to an icy realm and after 75 years they made it possible to come back. When I arrived I expected it to be a different world ruled but the Nazis and the Nazis be ruled by HYDRA but your BELOVED Captain changed that."

"How are you still like you were when you died, i'm sorry 'teleported', if that was over 75 years ago?" Tony asked.

"Well Captain wasn't the first person to be experimented on with the serum. The only difference is the doctor limited me but gave everything to Captain Rogers."

"What do you want?"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I WANT? THEY CALL YOU A GENIUS SO THINK ABOUT IT. I 'worked' under Hitler's rein but once I was out of the picture Hitler was nothing. I'm surprised if he could tie his shoes with out me let alone win a war without my weapons. Now Hitler is dead and I am here to begin WWIII, the Nazis shall rise under HYDRA's control and this time Captain America won't be there to stop us."

"But you don't have an army or any of you old weapons."

"I can make my weapons again because i have this!" Schmidt walks to a door behind Tony and knocks. When Schmidt walks back in front of Tony he's holding the Tesseract with what looks like a hi-tech claw machine claw.

"Where did you get that it was on Asgard?" Tony was shocked.

"I gave it to him." Came a familiar voice.

"No! What the fuck is going on here? Your suppose to be dead. That's supposed to be on Asgard and so are you, Loki."

"It's quiet simple the Tesseract opened a portal and Mr. Schmidt was sucked through it, my brother, Thor, broke me out of prison to help him save his precious mortal after, what was her name, ah yes Jane. After Jane got involved and was going to die which in the mean time kill my dear mother and a whole lot of other insignificant people. Which I faked my death and took over Asgard, that's how the Tesseract is here. TA DA." Loki said in a matter of fact manner.

"Why are you just giving me the information?" Tony said. That was never a good thing when the villain explained themselves before the actual fight.

"Because as soon as your love gets here we will make you watch him die, right before we kill you." Schmidt said with a grin.

"What about Hammer?"

"Ah yes, he's here just not for the reason he would like. He thought he was going to help develop weapons but he's our guinea pig. We test the weapons on him then when he dies we bring him back just test some more."

"How?"

"If Fury can move the heavens and the earth do you think I can't. I'M A GOD."

Tony realized something was vibrating in his hand. The caller-id said restricted.

"You should answer that Mr. stark." Schmidt laughed

Tony flipped it open and put it up to his ear. "Hello."

"Hia Stark so you and Rogers, that's sweet." laughed Clint.

"Ha ha. Why are you calling?"

"Well we were wondering what we're up against not that we can't handle anything Hammer throws at us. We know none of his weapons will work. But still Cap had a bad feeling when you told him he could get really hurt because it's Hammer his weapons couldn't hurt an ant let alone a super soldier."

"Steve you shouldn't have come. But since your here ask Clint about that red head he liked a long long time ago before she died and when you come in watch out for reindeer. Also tell Thor while I'm alive he's like a brother to me. Tell Wanda that her nails have nothing to do with her outfit and don't go with it. Last thing is beware the blue game-cube." Tony said in a faked drowsy voice.

"Tony it's Clint, not Steve. so I take it your surrounded and yeah speaking in code."

"Yeah, i need a drink." Tony said

"Shit!" Clint said.

"What is it?" Nat asked.

"Tony is talking in code."

"What did he say?" Steve said.

"He said 'Steve ask Clint about that read head you liked a long long time ago before she died. Then watch out for reindeer when we came in. Then he told me to tell Thor while I'm alive he's like a brother to me, meaning Tony, then that Wanda's nails have nothing to do with her outfit and don't go with it..."

"I'll show him how my nails go with my outfit."

"I'm not done. He said last thing was beware the blue game-cube."

"Clint who was the red head you liked?" Thor asked

"Thor it's a code. Red head long long time ago who died?" Steve said. And took the phone "Tony what do you mean?"

"He's talking in code stop him!" Loki screamed.

"Is that Loki?"

"I got go. Steve you need to leave don't come in he'll kill you. No please not again, AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Tony screamed as the whip hit his inner thigh. "Cap just leave run I love you but please leave me I can't watch you die. If you love me just go and fight. Please no Red Sku..." the phone cut off.

...

"TONY TONY TOOONNNYYY!? NO!" Steve yelled. "Red Sku... Red head... Red Sku... red head... No it can't be he died i saw him be ripped apart. Red Skull is alive? that's not possible"

"No what is not possible is my brother is alive! I watched him die!" Thor yelled.

"My nails go with my outfit. It does too work for it!"

"Wait think about it. Red head equaled to read skull..." Steve said.

"Yeah but why did he tell you to ask me about the red head?" Clint asked.

"He was talking to you and letting you know that code was for me. But listen. Red head and red skull are basically the same things. Also when Tony saw Loki for the first time her called him reindeer games. 'Watch out for reindeer' he said he was saying Loki was in there. He said to tell Thor while Tony's ALIVE that he was like a BROTHER to him, he was trying to tell you that Loki's alive. So obviously the words he used matter. ' Wanda's nails have nothing to do with her outfit... They don't go with it. But whats a game-cube?"

"It's a video game console in the shape of a cube. He said beware the blue game cube what could that be?" Natasha said.

"Blue cube that plays games, Loki, and the Red Skull." Cap said. He realized what that meant. " The Tesseract! It's blue, it's a cube, and it can play some mind games. Both Loki and Schmidt, the Red Skull, had come in contact with it at some point in time."

"Shit, but what about Wanda's nails?"

"Wanda's nails have nothing to do with her outfit... They don't go with it. That goes with nails?" Steve asked.

"Hammers!" Thor and Bruce said in unison.

"So nail's mean's hammer. 'Hammer nothing to do with her outfit' he must not be actually helping them he has nothing to do with what's going on." Nat said.

"But we have two bigger problems. Loki and Schmidt." Steve said.

"The plan then?" Sam asked.

"I know this base inside and out." Steve said.

"How?" Rhodey asked.

"I was here before I went into the ice." Steve said with a grim expression. "We need to find Tony fast no telling what they could be doing to him."

"Steve you should stay here. If you were here before the ice it could trigger something and we could lose you." Natasha said, her voice full of concern.

"I can't Tony's in there. I can't just stand here and wait. None of you will come back if I don't help." Steve yelled, the worry in him overwhelming him that the fear can't touch him.

"Damn man you really care for Stark even though he tried to kill you and Bucky a few months ago." Sam said.

"It's not as simple as I just care about him." Steve said a little strained. "I love him. I don't think I could live with myself if you guys went in there and none of you came out. I need to go, and you guys can't stop me." With that Steve walked toward the base.

"Steve wait! We're not going to stop you. You obviously need to find him, but think rationally we can't just storm the castle." Natasha says going after him.

"I just need him back. Just... remain unseen, Nat, and Clint you guys start from the top and work you way down, Sam and Wanda start at the base and work your way down, Rhodes and Bruce look for any weapons and destroy, them Vision and Thor go for Loki."

"What about you?" Vision asked.

"I'm going for Tony he 's probably with Schmidt."

"You can't go alone." Wanda said.

"You have your orders just go." Steve insisted as he ran down the cliff.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**I finally got a new laptop and figured out how to make chapters happen. Sorry for the delay. Now on with the next chapter.**

* * *

"I had a feeling he would use code to warn the Avengers." Schmidt claimed.

"So why did you let him talk to them?" Loki asked a little angry.

"Because now we can predict what they will do. Captain Rogers will come for Tony. Then he'll send the rest of his team to search the base and find ours weapons." Schmidt said in a matter of fact tone.

"I will wait here with Stark while you go take care of Justin Hammer and the weapons." Loki ordered.

"I do not take orders from you." Schmidt yelled.

"Oh I'm sorry how is it you got back here and have the Tesseract? Oh yeah me. Now go and do as you're told." Loki said calmly.

Grumbling to himself Schmidt leaves to prepare for the battle.

"Well tony I hope you enjoy your last moments of life because once they come they will die and after watching you will die."

Tony spit in Loki's face before saying "They aren't going to die and you won't win."

Loki smacks Tony causing him to fall to the ground. Loki grabs a handful of Tony's hair and drags him to his feet. "Oh you think you and your group of freaks can defeat me and Schmidt. How adorable."

"We have before we can do it again." Tony says as he spits out the blood in his mouth.

"That was before I had Schmidt. And your numbers are even fewer than they were with half of you in prison and the other half on the run."

Tony thought about it. He didn't actually know who was with Captain besides Clint but he does know none of them are in jail thanks to Cap and even if they were on the run they would come to help. Fuck, he has them all, and they are still not a match for this. They need Tony. They can't do it with out him. But his suit is severally damaged he would need to do some repairs before he could fight. That wasn't going to be easy with Loki here. He had to think and fast. With Loki's hand still holding Tony's hair he leaves himself open so without much thought Tony jabs a fist into Loki's side. Then Loki bends over his grip lose on Tony's hair, Tony rips from his grip, not without sacrificing a few hairs, smashed a wrist into his throat then making two fists and slamming them into the back of Loki's neck sending him to the ground, unmoving. Tony runs to his suit and start tinkering at top speed trying to fix it the best he can before Loki gets up or Schmidt comes back and kills him. Just thinking of it made him work faster because if he dies Steve will definitely die.

...

It took Schmidt 45 minutes before he finish what he was told. When he returned Tony was gone so was the suit and Loki was unconscious on the floor. "NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. YOU CALL YOURSELF A GOD BUT GOT BEATEN BY A MAN WITH A BROKEN LEG AND CUTS ALL OVER HIS BODY WHO COULD BARELY WALK! YOU IMBECILE!" Schmidt stormed out of the room to search for Tony knowing that he hasn't gotten to Cap yet because of where they were in the base.

...

Tony limped in the direction he assumed the exit was. There was a light that resembled the sun. It felt warm and it was bright. As tony walked in what he found was not a sun. The machine in front of him scared him to a point he didn't know he could feel. It was an insinuator but not for papers or things like that, more for there victims that didn't die in the battles they lost. Tony backed away slowly when he hit a wall. Tony turns to see that the door way behind him a second before was gone and on the other side of the room now behind the machine. Reluctantly Tony started moving toward the door but is stopped by the fire and heat coming from the machine.

"Sir, the suit can't take this heat. It will burn up."

"Jarvis find another exit. We need to get to Steve."

"I can not find an alternative exit. Sorry sir, would you like me to call Captain Rogers?"

"No i'm not giving up, I need to get to him. Please Jarvis."

"Yes sir."

Tony began to limp through the fire to the door. His legs burning and not just because of the fire. His broken leg screaming in pain for him to stop, just give up, it's no use. Tony was 3 yards from the door now when he heard a laugh from above him. Schmidt was standing watching, laughing at the pain he's causing Tony.

"You won't make it and even if you did you'll die once you enter that room." Schmidt shout over the fire.

"Jarvis, how did he get in here?" Tony whispered.

"Scanning now sir."

"What's in that other room?"

"Well it could be your lovely captain being kill, but it could also be where we keep our most dangerous weapon. Either way you will die." Schmidt laughed.

"Sir, I can not find anyway he could have gotten in unless he came from that room."

"Scan that room."

"Already done,one life sign and no weapons, but sir the life sign is fading."

"Steve?"

"Unclear sir."

"We need to move. Can we fly?"

"We have enough power for a wide jump, maybe 13 ft."

"Can that jump get me over these flames and to that room?"

"Yes sir."

"Then do it."

The booster started and Tony was launched over the flames and into the next room to find Hammer lying unconscious in a pool of blood. Tony went over to check for a pulse. When their skin touched Hammer's eyes shot open. Tony jumped back in shock because Hammer's eyes were glowing red. Tony stared as he got up, like he wasn't just dying, and started going after Tony. Tony saw a staircase on the other side of Hammer. When he tried to go around him, Hammer just stopped, frozen in place. Tony stared again until he heard footsteps coming down the hid along the wall next to them waiting to attack the new intruder still mindful of Hammer standing in the middle of the room still as a statue seemingly not breathing. Not paying attention to the amount of blood he was losing, adrenaline the only thing keeping his body going. When the footsteps were almost at the bottom Tony jumped out weapons at the ready.

"Tony?" Steve chocked back a sob.

"Steve? No you need to leave. Go please!" Even as Tony said that he pulled Steve into a tight hug and began to cry. The tears took the last bit of strength and adrenaline he had to keep going and he crashed to the floor. The pain that was swallowing him began to dull.

"Tony, no Tony speak to me!" Steve yelled while ripping off Tony's mask.

Tony's eye were open but cloudy and unfocused. Steve knew that look all to well. Tony was gone.

"Tony? No you can't be dead, Tony." Steve said, tears running down his face.

"Team, I've got Tony..."

"Thank God. How is he?" Rhodes asks over the comms.

"All of you should come down here. All the way down ." Steve said trying this hardest to sound calm but it didn't work.

"Steve, what's wrong? Steve is Tony okay?" Natasha's concern was think and heavy but Steve couldn't get the words out because once he said it he couldn't deny it.

"Just get down here fast!" Steve yelled.

Suddenly Hammer seemed like a switch was flipped and continued in the opposite direction as Cap but when he realized Tony wasn't there anymore he turned to face Cap.

Cap didn't realize Hammer until it was too late. Hammer punched Steve in the jaw and sent him flying across the room with Tony still in his arms. Steve was surprised at this scrawny man's strength. Steve to be honest was a little was coming at him again but Steve was ready this time. Even though he was reluctant to leave Tony's side he had to protect him even if he was gone. Steve couldn't let anymore harm come to him. Steve kissed Tony's forehead and set him down. Steve charged Hammer with an anger he never knew he had. Hammer throw a right then a left but Steve ducked and sidestepped then throw his own left, right, left and kicked his foot out. Hammer went hurtling into the air with the force of Steve's upper cut.

Just before Hammer was about to hit the ceiling Vision materialized through it and caught him. Holding him in a bear hug. Next Hulk came crashing through the ceiling followed by Thor and the rest of the team. Hammer was trying to get away from Vision's grip. When he started succeeding Hulk hit him on the head just enough to knock him out and walks over to where Steve was holding Tony again.

"You know there are stairs, right." Steve ask as the tears ran down his face. He hated showing people his weaknesses but he just couldn't hold them in.

"We couldn't find them. Besides the building rearranges itself. What happened? Did you find Schmidt or Loki?" Clint asked.

Steve shakes his head."I didn't look. I saw Tony and he hugged me telling me to leave, then he just..." Steve couldn't finish his sentence. He began to cry harder.

"Steve we need to get Tony out of here. We'll come back for Loki and Schmidt." Natasha said.

"Tony's gone" Steve chocked out. "We need to stop Loki and Schmidt."

"We will but not right now. Steve we need you for this but you can't fight in this condition." Wanda said in a soothing voice placing a hand on Steve's shoulder.

Steve stared at Tony's blank face. He picked him up, cradling him close to his chest. Hulk grabbed hold of Cap and jumped through the hole in the ceiling. Rhodey, Thor, and Sam fly out while Vision gabs Wanda around the waist and follows with Hammer floating unconscious behind. Clint shot an arrow and he and Nat are zipped out.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Back at the Avenger compound Tony's body lays on a hospital bed hooked up to wires and machines. It's been three days since Tony died but Steve still can't except it. Even though he said it he just can't face it. Bruce had a theory. Maybe if they gave Tony some of Cap's blood it would bring him back. Even though everyone doubted it would work they were willing to try it. What was the worse that could happen? Tony stay dead? What no one expected was after 9 hours his heart would start beating. Tony's alive but only just. Steve has to constantly stay at Tony's side, which Steve doesn't mind, he need to protect Tony. What bothered him was that he was stuck hooked up to the machine transferring his blood to Tony very slowly. Steve has never been more tired then he had been the past few days. But for Tony, Steve was willing to do almost anything to have him back.

"How is he doing?" Sam asked as he took a seat next to cap.

"Well I mean he could be a whole lot better but since he was dead a few days ago he's doing descent." Steve said a little groggy.

"And you?" Sam asked concern in his voice.

"I'm okay." Steve mumbled.

"Cap." Sam said with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"Steve, we both know you not okay, not just physically but emotionally."

"What am I supposed to do?! I don't care if they have to take all my blood, I just need him to come back to me. I never got to tell him." Steve said suppressing a sob.

Tony was vaguely aware that there were people with him. Tony tried to open his eyes but he couldn't move anything.

"I didn't get to tell him how I feel. I love tony, Sam, and he's not getting better fast enough. I just can't live if he died and never heard me say those words."

'Wait Steve loves me? Wait what does he mean die? Where am i? Why am i so sore?' Tony thought. Tony tried to move his arm and with much difficulty he twitched a finger. That sent a spike of pain through his body, without realizing it he groan.

"Tony?" Steve grabbed his hand squeezing it tightly, afraid of Tony drifting out of his grip. "Tony, I'm here. Tony, please wake up!"

"I'm gonna go get the doctors." Sam said leaving the room.

"Doctors?" Tony crocked trying to open his eyes.

"Tony! Tony you're in the hospital. Tony you died." Steve said getting an even tighter grip on his hand.

"I died?" Tony said. Finally getting his eyes open. He saw the white room he was in, and the tube in his arm pumping the scarlet liquid into him. He moved a a shaky hand to pull it out only to be stopped by a big hand.

"No Tony don't" Steve said.

Tony turns his head and focuses in on the beauty of those blue eyes, and smiles. With Steve's arm still holding his, Tony pulls Steve down to the bed. Steve is so surprised when it happens not knowing what to do. They stared at each other for a moment before Tony smashes his lips into Steve's. Steve hesitates for a moment before kissing back. Tony slipped his tongue into Steve's mouth and after another shock and hesitation Steve excepted it and kissed Tony deeper. There hands began to wander. Tony pulled back from the kiss when he found the needle in Steve's arm, pumping the scarlet liquid as well. Tony followed the tube to a machine to the side of the bed to the tube running from that to his own arm.

"Steve?" Tony said a little scared.

"Tony, you were dead, you died 3 days ago."

It finally registered in his head, he died, he wasn't meant to be alive right now. "Then how am i here?"

Steve looked at the tube connecting them. "Bruce thought my blood would bring you back. We all doubted it, but I had to try."

"You've been pumping your blood into me for three days?" Tony looked at Cap's face again and realized how tired he looked. He had dark circles under his eyes he looked a little thin than he should, like he hasn't been eating. His hair was a mess and he looked a like pale. "Steve." Tony said placing a hand on Steve's face. Steve turned his head into the touch wrapping his arms around Tony's waist pulling him closer. Tony rested his head on Steve's chest. Steve let go of Tony with one arm to run it through Tony's hair.

"I got the doc..."Sam stopped in his tracks at the sight of Tony in Steve's arms.

"Sam?" Steve said."What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing, I'm just shocked. I was gone for five minutes and you're already in bed with him." Sam said turning around.

"Sam, I'm just laying here, it's not like we're naked." Steve blushed at what he was saying.

"Well the doctor's on his way so you might want to stop whatever you're doing." Sam said walking out of the room.

"What's his problem?" Bruce walked in looking at Tony's charts not yet realizing who else was in the bed. When he finally looked up he stopped "Oh, I see."

"What I'm just laying here!" Steve said blushing even harder now.

"Well I see you just wanted to comfort Tony in a time of need. I see nothing wrong with that." Bruce said calmly with a slight smirk.

Steve relaxed a little and went to get off the bed but Tony held him firmly in place with a strength Steve and Bruce didn't know he had. Hell Tony didn't know he had that strength without his suit.

"Bruce?" Steve said in the shock that he couldn't move. Even when Tony was in the Iron Man suit he could at least wiggle a little but know he couldn't even move his arm from between them.

"Um, I'll run some tests but in the mean time get some rest. Both of you." Bruce said. "I'll take a few blood samples, Tony, and compare them to the one we have from before."

"Before what?" Tony asked a little scared.

"Before Steve gave you his his blood." With that Bruce left the room mumbling something about being unconscious making people grabby.

Once the door was closed Tony turned back to Steve with a hungry look in his eyes.

"Tony you heard Bruce. We need to get some rest."

Tony nodded but continued to stare deep in Cap's eyes.

"Tony I'm going to get off the bed now. Okay?"

Tony's expressing changed from hunger to sadness to panic. "St-sta-stay." Tony stuttered almost a whisper.

"What, Tony?"

"Please, stay. Don't leave me alone."

"Tony, I'm right here. I'm just moving to the chair."

The panic in Tony's eyes only got worse. He fell to the bed and started seizing.

"Tony?! Tony!" Steve screamed in utter panic. "Bruce, help. Anyone we need help!"

A nurse came running in and removed Steve from the bed. In the process tugging the IV out of Tony's arm, stopping the blood from entering his body. Tony stopped seizing slowly but did not wake up. He just laid there, eyes closed tight in pain and a light sweat breaking out over his skin.

The nurse moved to put the needle back in Tony's arm but was stopped by a large hand on her wrist. The nurse looked at cap questioningly.

Cap took the needle out of his arm and placed it on the hospital bed. "Obviously Tony is having a reaction to my blood. I don't want to continue giving it to him until we know it's safe." Cap said to the nurse who seemed a little startled.

"With all do respect Captain Rogers, Mr. Stark needs that blood to continue healing. If he seizes as a side effect we have medicine that can stop it. If Mr. Stark doesn't have that blood I'm afraid that he won't survive." The nurse said sadly but seriously.

Steve looked at the nurse, then the needle ,to his hand still around her wrist, to Tony. Steve sighed and let go of her wrist. Putting the needle back in his own arm while the nurse put it in Tony's. Tony automatically tensed and stiffened up. Steve watched Tony begin to sweat heavier and shiver at the same time. Tony's face started turning red and his teeth began to chatter. Steve was horrified by the drastic change only a few seconds with his blood had caused. Steve moved his hand to Tony's face. With a confused look from the nurse she could tell she was intruding on a privet moment. "I'll leave him with you for a moment while I go speak with the doctor."

Steve didn't say anything. Without looking up from Tony's face he nodded his head and the nurse left the room. "Oh, Tony." Steve said quietly rubbing his thumb along Tony's cheekbone. "What are we going to do with you?"

"Mm no, stop, no, no!" Tony mumbled in his sleep as he started thrashing at the blankets.

"Tony? Stop what? Tony, you're safe. Tony?" Steve's voice was full of concern while he sat on the bed and gathered the smaller man in his arms.

"No let me go! No don't touch me! Steve! Help! Steve! No don't touch me! Get away. Get away from me. What is that? What do you want? What are you doing? No don- AHHHH! STEVE HELP! AHHH! STEVE! Please stop!" Tony screamed and no matter how hard Steve tried to wake him, he couldn't. All he could do was wait for it to pass and hold him tight in his arms, tell him he's safe and he's not going to let him be taken again.

Tony screamed in pain and anguish for a little over an hour and a half, but even though the screaming stopped, Steve knew it was only because the sound stopped coming. Tony was still trying to scream but no sound would come out. Steve sat there on the bed cradling a broken Tony Stark. Steve had never seen him this bad. Yes when they fought after Tony watched the footage of Bucky and his parents Tony was pretty bad but at the same time he was still alive after it and not as damaged, seeing as the suit took most of the fight. This time though, Tony died. He was gone and the only thing keeping him alive was also hurting him.

Steve was constantly thinking of that last fight they had. He closed his eye and watched the flashback in his head.

 ** _The video beginning with a car crashing into a tree and a motorcycle pulling up behind it. The rider's metal arm grabbing the driver of the car and dragging him out of his seat. The rider then continued to smash his head into the side of the car only to drop the life less man while his wife faintly cried his name._**

 ** _"Howard. Howard."_**

 ** _The rider then went around the car and strangled Maria Stark. The rider went to the trunk of the car got something out and then shot the camera in another tree._**

 ** _Tony watched in horror at his parent's murder. Well now aware it was murder, a murder committed by someone he had just started to trust._**

 ** _"Stark, he wasn't in his right mind." Steve stopped Stark from killing Bucky._**

 ** _"Did you know?"_**

 ** _"I didn't know it was him."_**

 ** _"Did you know?"_**

 ** _"Yes."_**

 ** _Tony backed a way slightly. The horror of this still present on his face._**

 ** _"Sorry Tony. You know I wouldn't do this if I had any other choice, but he's my friend."_**

 ** _"So was I."_**

 ** _Then the fight began. Steve could hear the pain in Tony's voice when he said they were friends. The past tense heavy in those three words. Steve should have told Tony how he really felt. He should have ran over and ripped off his mask and planted his own lips to the billionaire's and begged for forgiveness, but it wouldn't have done anything to help. It would have just made it worse._**

Steve was sucked out of his flashback and the felling of emptiness. All of a sudden the bed felt roomier and when Steve opened his eyes Tony was gone. Panic laced through every fiber of his being. "Tony?" Steve shouted as he stood. "Tony?" Steve was terrified that Tony was taken. So when Tony walked out of the bathroom and fell against the wall, barely able to hold himself up, Steve was there picking him up and carrying him bridle style to the bed and sitting with him in his arms. After putting the needle back in Tony's arm and seeing him tense, Steve ran his fingers through Tony's hair. "I'm sorry Tony. I'm so sorry." Steve crooked at the seemingly sleeping man.

"Why?" was the only response Tony gave.

"I should have never fought you. I should have just taken you in my arms and told you then how I feel." Steve looked down at Tony. He could see the pain of that moment in Tony's eyes. I love you, Tony. I have for awhile. You need to get better! Tony?" Tony's eyes slipped into his head. All that was visible was the whites of them. Tony started shocking and foaming at the mouth. Steve stared in horror. Unable to move, the faint beeping of the screen monitoring Tony's heart turned into a consistent beep. Tony was flat lining. "No, Tony! Help! Please his heart stopped please help! Anybody please!" Steve screamed but no one came.

Less than a minute later the monitor began to beep again.

"Tony? Tony are you there?" Steve said trying to keep his voice even.

"Love... You.. Too... Stevie..." Tony whispered sleepily. Steve just stared at the sleeping billionaire. Confused on what's going on.

 **TBC**

* * *

Thanks for reading so far. Please review and tell me how I'm doing so far. I can take criticism.


	4. Chapter 4

HELLO EVERYONE! Thank you for following my story, I'm sorry for the delay in the next chapter. I had the next chapter written in my note book but then I went back and reread what I had and decided I didn't like the direction I was taking it yet or the pace so I had to erase 8 pages I had and I'm still in the process of rewriting it I will have an update for you wonderful people soon. Thanks for reading.


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